Stapling machine



April 3, 1956 w. scHAFRoTH STAPLING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March5, 1953 7 2. 7/ W M n G (7 l aw/Ll 7 m fm m I 5 W 5 W mi Jwl MM @F w wmfN5 f W Mm n w 5M April 3, 1956 w. scHAFRoTl-l STAPLING MACHINE 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 5, 1953 United States Patent OHice A 2,74,llg Patented Apr. 3, 1956 STAPLING MACHINE Werner Schafroth, Williamson,Ill. Application March 5, 1953, Serial No. 340,443 6 Claims. (Cl. 1- 49)This invention relates to a stapling machines in general, andparticularly those of the type which are used to secure the flaps orends of closed cartons or containers where stationary anvils cannot beused and where movu able anvils are used for penetrating the materialand clinching the staples.

This invention represents a practical improvement over the staplingmachines shown in my prior patents, No. 2,080,634 dated March 4, 1941;No. 2,469,054 and No. 2,469,055 dated May 3, 1949; and No. 2,470,727dated May 17, 1949, in that the movable anvils are secured directly topivotally mounted handles having knobs or ball handles thereon, and bypositively and directly causing said anvils to move instantaneously uponmovement of said handles instead of through a series of cams, pins,levers, and links, all of which are subject to wear and breakage. Thisinvention also represents a practical improvement in the maganize whichfeeds staples one after the other to the staple driving and clinchingmeans.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide astapling machine which eliminates many of the parts heretofore used instapling machines, thereby eliminating the wear and breakage which occurin said parts, and which at the same time operates more elli` ciently. f

Another object is to provide a stapling machine wherein any movement ofthe handles produces a direct and positive movement of the movableanvils regardless of whether the machine is old or new.

Another object. is to provide a stapling vmachine in which a pair ofmovable anvils is actuated directly by hand in such a manner that thegrasping of the handle members with both hands and operation thereof`automatically keeps the stapling machine in proper position on thecontainer or carton being closed during the stapling operation. Withprior stapling machines, one hand of the operator was used to cause theanvils to rotate while the other hand was supposed to have been placedin a proper position for preventing the stapling machine from moving orsliding with respect to said carton or container. However, operatorssometimes attempt to operate prior machines with only one hand with theresult that the machine moves during operation thereby producing animproper fastening means, or damaging the container, or both.

Another object is to provide a stapling machine which is relativelysimple and cheap to make, whichcentains less parts which are subject towear, which requires less repair and replacement parts, ing at alltimes.

Another object is to provide a stapling machine which can be repairedquickly and easily by the'operator himself, and in which the anvils canbe replaced quickly and easily. The present construction allows forquick anvil replacement either because of a broken or Worn anvil orbecause a different anvil is needed to perform the fastening operationon diierent thicknesses of mateand which is positive act- May 18, 1937;No. 2,234,808 dated" tially rectangular shape with truncated rial,increased numbers of plies, or a change in the kind of material.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent hereinafter.

The invention is embodied in a stapling machine comprising a novelcasing and a novel magazine operatively associated therewith, handlespivotally mounted in said casing and positioned to extend therebeyond,anvils secured to the lower portions of said handles and posi'- tionedto extend below said casing when said handles are pivoted to anoperative position, staple driving means operatively connected withrespect to said handles and adapted to move downwardly when said handlesare pivoted to an operative position. The invention is also embodied ina novel magazine construction which automatically feeds staples to saidcasing one after the other, said magazine comprising staple-receivingmeans, a pusher slidably mounted therein, means for forcing said pusheragainst said staples, and a hold-down bar positioned above said staples.

The invention also consists in the parts and in the arrangement andcombination of parts herein described and claimed. In the accompanyingdrawings, which form part of this specification and wherein likenumerals refer to like parts wherever they occur:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a stapling machine embodying the presentinvention, the handles being in their raised or inoperative position,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the stapling machine shown in Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view, partly in cross-section, of saidstapling machine,

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the rear face of the front housingafter said front housing has been removed from the stapling machine,said handle members being shown in their inoperative position,

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of said front housing showing the parts intheir operative position,

Fig. 6 is an elevational View of the front face of the rear housingafter the front housing has been removed,

Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional View taken along the line 7*-7 ofFig. 3 showing the rear of the rear housing,

Fig, 8 is a fragmentary enlarged top plan View of the magazine, and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the rear portionof said magazine taken along the line 9-9 of Fig. 2.

Referring now the drawings in detail, it will be seen that theembodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises anupstanding casing 1 of substanupper corners 2, although it may be of anysuitable shape, and a magazine 3 which extends rearwardly of said casing1 and automatically feeds staples 4 to said casing 1.

The casing 1 comprises a front housing 5 and a rear housing 6 withstapling means 7 therebetween. The front housing 5 is provided with aperipheral flange 8, spacer pins 9 in the upper portion thereof, a lowermarginal spacer bar 10, a central guide pin 11, and two handle pins l2and 13. The handle pins 12 and 13 provide a pivotal mounting for thehandles 14 and 15 whichvare of U-shape cross-section having handleinserts 16 and 17 Y in'the lower portions thereof.

The handle inserts 16 and 17 are held in position by means of insertpins 18 and 19 and the handle pins 12 and 13. Anvils 20 and 21 aresecured'to said handles 14 and 1S by means of anvil screws 22 and 23 andanvil pins 24 and 2S. The anvils 20 and 21 are provided with piercingends 26 and 27 and inner or clinching surfaces 28 and 29.

A driving blade 30 is provided in the plane of and between said anvils20 and Z1 and is adapted to move vertically upon operation of saidhandles 14 and 15. The

upper portion of said driving blade is secured to a yoke 31 havingbifurcated laterally extending ends 32 and 33 which hold yoke pins 34and 35 on which links 56 and 37 are pivotally mounted. The lower endsvofthe links 36 and 37 are pivotally mounted in said handles 14 and 15 onlower link pins 38 and 39 at a point upwardly from said handle pins 12and 13 and substantially on a line between said anvils 20 and 21 andsaid yoke pins 34 and 35 when the parts are in their operating position,The links 36 and 37 are provided with spring pins di? and 41 which holda rubber band spring d2.

The upper ends of the handles 14 and 15 are provided with ball handlesor knobs 43 secured thereto by means of a handle insert 44 having athreaded knob screw 45, said insert 44 being held in position within theU-shaped handles 14 and 15 by handle pins 46.

The rear housing 6 is provided with a peripheral flange 47, spacer pins48 in the lower portion thereof, two parallel upstanding guides 49 and5i) for guiding the driving blade 3G during its vertical upward anddownward movement, and a U-shaped opening 51 corresponding in shape tothe staples 4 which are received from the magazine 3. A smaller centralopening 52 is positioned above' and connects with said U-shaped opening51. As shownin Fig. 6, the guides 49 and 50 are secured to the frontface 53 of said rear housing 6 by means of guide pins 54. The rear face55 of the rear housing 6, as best shown in Fig. 7, is provided withilanged strengthening members 56 of suitable shape with a tapered barguide 57 therebetween. The bar guide 57 is provided with guide flanges5S which are closer at their lower edges and which terminate at the topof said central smaller opening 52. The strengthening members 56 aresecured to the rear face by screws 59 or other suitable means. Fourremovable screws 6i) hold the front housing 5 and the rear housing 6together with the hereinbefore described stapling parts therebetween. Toremove the front housing 5 from the rear housing 6, only the four screws6i) need be removed.

The magazine 3 comprises a U-shaped outer channel 61 having an innerchannel 62 secured therein in parallel relation thereto, said innerchannel 62 having an open forward portion which is closed by a wearplate 63 positioned in the plane of the rear housing 6 and flush withthe front face 53. ri'he open rear portion of the U-shaped outer channel61 is closed by an upstanding end plate 64 with a hinge 65 securedthereto. The hinge 65 is provided with an anchor shaft 66 extendingtherethrough on which are pivotally mounted a hold-down bar 67 and apusher catch 68 having a rearwardly extending tab 69 and a pair ofdownwardly extending fingers 7u. The holddown bar 67 is provided with aspring 71 and spring plug 72 for allowing the hold-down bar 67 to bemoved horizontally rearwardly for a short distance. The forward portionof the hold-down bar 67 is provided with a notch 73 therein which allowsthe small end 74 thereof to extend Vward end 74 into alignment-with atwhich time the spring 71 forces the hold-down bar 67 catch 68 engage theopenings 17in the pusher 75 thereby holding said pusher 75 in the rearposition until the magazine 3 is filled with staples 4. The hold-downbar 67 is then pivoted downwardly whereupon the forward end, contactsthe guide bar 57 whose guide franges 5S guide the forforwardly into theproper position with the small end 74 hush with the front face 53 of therear housing 6, the upper portion of the forward end abutting againstthe lower part of the bar guide 57. The ,pusher catch 63 is then rotatedupwardly by liftingthe tab 69 and' allowing the pusher 75 to be forcedagainst the rearmost staple 4 by means ofthe rubber band 79. y

The stapling machine is then placed over the carton container to befastened by grasping the ball handles 43 with both hands which are then3i) to move downwardly and drive a staple 4 through the material andcausing the piercing ends 26 and 27 of the anvils 20 and 21 to piercethe material. Continued movement of the handles causes the clinchingsurfaces 2S and 29 of the anvils 20 and 21 to engage the lower ends ofthe staple #i and bend them into the fastening position shown in theFig. 5. in particular, as the handles 14 and 15 are pivoted about theirrespective handle pins 12 and 13, the lower link pins 38 and 39 moveloutwardly and downwardly thereby causing the yoke 31 and the drivingblade 3i) to move downwardly. The driving blade 30 is guided by the`guides 49 and Sil and contacts the upper` surface of a staple 4 whichhas been forced through the opening 51 in said rear housing 6 by thepusher 75. Continued movement of the handles 14 and 1.5 causes saiddriving blade 3) to force the staple 4 through the singlev or doublethickness of material andcauses `the ends of the anvils 2li and 21 topierce the material and then rebend the ends of the'staple 4. n Thehandles 14 and 15 are then brought together with the help of the rubberband spring 42 thereby retracting the anvils from the material, andmoving the driving blade 30 upwardly thereby uncovering the opening 51and allowing the pusher 75 to feed another staple 4 through the openingy51.` The next stapling operation is performed in the saine manner byplacing the stapling machine over the material to be fastened andpushing the handles 14 and 15 outwardly and downwardly therebyautomatically holding the stapling machine in position throughout thestapling n operation. n

into said small central opening 52 in ush relation to l the front face53 of the rear housing 6. A pusher 75 is slidably mounted in saidmagazine 3 and is provided with two upstanding tabs 76 and two smallyopenings 77 adapted to receive the fingers 70 on said pusher catch 68.The inner channel 62 is provided with a hinge shaft 78 for receiving theend of a feed rubber band 79, the opposite end of which is secured tosaid pusher 75 preferably by a shaft 8i) held in position by ears 81struck from the pusher 75 to form the openings 77. A roller. 82 issecured to the forward portion of said inner channel 62 about which saidrubber band 79 is rebent. in the outer and inner channel members 61 and62 for initially receiving said roller s2.

In order to operate the stapling machine, staples 4 Registering holes 83and $4 are provided I are irst inserted into the magazine 3 by movingthe hold' down bar 67 rearwardly against the action of the small in theinoperative position, as shown in Fig. 4, the upward movement of thehandles 14 and 15 is limited when the inner edges of said handles abutagainst the bifurcated ends 32 and 33 of said yoke 31. ln the operativeposition,

as shown in Fig. 5, the downward movement is limited byV the materialand the staple in most instancesand by the` outwardly extending rearwardportion of the anvil screws 22 and 7.3 abutting against the top surfaceof the lower lspace bar l0 in the remaining instances.

With ythis construction, the slightest movement of thc handles 14l and15 causes an instantaneous and positive movement of the anvils 26 and 21with great mechanical advantage regardless of whether the parts are newor worn. The anvils 20 and21'are so shaped and positioned on the handles14 and 15 that they iirst pierce the mate.- rial by niovingsubstantiallydownwardly and then move toward eachother thereby bending or clinchingthe end portions of the staples and producing the smallest puncturepossible in the material. Because or" the relative K the central hole 52orl forced outwardly and downwardly. This forces the handles 14 and 15outwardly and downwardly thereby causing said driving blade positions ofthe hands of the operator with respect to the anvils and handles, thedriving blade, and the links, the operator directly and positivelycauses said anvils to pierce the material and bend the ends of thestaple with great mechanical advantage while at the same timeautomatically causing said machine to remain in the proper position withrespect to the material to be fastened.

This invention is intended to cover all changes and modifications of theexample of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure,which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:

1. A stapling machine having a casing, handles mounted in said casing onlixed pivots, anvils fixedly secured to said handles, staple drivingmeans actuated by said handles, whereby said anvilsv pierce the materialagainst which the machine is placed and the staple driving meansthereafter clinches the staple which is forced through the materialagainst the anvils.

2. A staplng machine having a casing, handles pivotally mounted in thelower portion of said casing on xed pivots and positioned to extendtherebeyond, anvils xedly secured to said handles and positioned toextend below said casing when said handles are pivoted to an operativeposition, staple driving means operatively connected with respect tosaid handles for moving downwardly when said handles are pivoted to anoperativeposition.

3. A stapling machine having a casing, handles mounted in the lowerportion of said casing on fixed pivots and positioned to extendtherebeyond, anvils xedly secured t the lower portions of said handlesin close proximity to said fixed pivots and positioned to extend belowsaid casing when said handles are pivoted to an operative position,staple driving means adapted to move downwardly when said handles arepivoted to an operative position, said staple driving means beingconnected to said handles by links.

4. A stapling machine having a casing, handles of U- shapedcross-section pivotally mounted in said casing on xed pivots, anvilssecured to said handles and positioned to extend below said casing whensaid handles are pivoted to an operative position, links having one oftheir ends pivotally mounted in said handles, the other ends of saidlinks being pivotally mounted in staple driving means, said links beingadapted to pivot within the open portions of said handles, said stapledriving means being adapted to move downwardly when said handles arepivoted to an operative position.

5. A stapling machine having a casing, handles pivotally mounted in thelower portion of said casing on lxed pivots and positioned to extendtherebeyond, anvils securedto the lower portions of said handles andpositioned to extend below said casing when said handles are pivoted toan operative position, staple driving means adapted to move downwardlyin the plane of and between said anvils when said handles are pivoted toan operative position, links pivotally connected to the upper portion ofsaid staple driving means, the lower portions of said links beingpivotally connected to said handles.

6. In a stapling machine, a casing having handles therein of U-shapedcross-section pivotally mounted in the lower portion thereof andpositioned to extend therebeyond, anvils secured directly to saidhandles and positioned to extend below said casing when said handles arepivoted to an operative position, links having one of their endspivotally mounted in said handles, the other ends of said links beingpivotally mounted in staple driving means, said links being adapted topivot within the open portions-of said handles, said staple drivingmeans being adapted to move downwardly when said handles are pivoted toan operative position, and a magazine adapted to feed staples to saidstaple driving means.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS288,191 Young et al. Nov. 6, 1883 547,756 Kline Oct. 8, 1895 2,055,257Maynard et al Sept. 22, 1936 2,080,634 Schafroth May 18, 1937 2,195,889Maynard Apr. 2, 1940 2,298,123 Harred Oct. 6, 1942 2,312,142 Abrams etal. Feb. 23, 1943 2,357,737 Harred Sept. 5, 1944 2,420,830 Maynard May20, 1947 2,445,180 Maynard July 13, 1948 2,469,055 Schafroth May 3, 19492,624,878 Marano Jan. 13, 1953

